Speak Now
by nevertickleasleepingferret
Summary: Hermione Granger is the brain behind the Golden Trio, she helped Defeating the Greatest Dark Wizard of all time and have an amazing career at the Ministry. So, when she gate crash a friend wedding, never did it cross her mind, it would change her life.


Disclaimer : I do not own the Harry Potter universe, only unknowns plots and characters belong to me. The song is Speak Now by Taylor Swift.

Author's Note : A special thanks to Beezie for being an amazing beta reader. Reviews are highly welcomed.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Speak Now<span>**

_I am not the kind of girl __  
><em>_Who should be rudely barging in __  
><em>_On a white veil occasion __  
><em>_But you are not the kind of boy __  
><em>_Who should be marrying the wrong girl_

Why am I here again? This is becoming one of the times I question my own sanity. And trust me: I don't usually question them a lot. The last time this happened was when I insisted on crying and shutting myself in the toilet just because a boy called me names, and look where that got me. I ended up being friends with him and had enough troubles worth a lifetime.

I need a firewhisky ASAP._  
><em>

_I sneak in and see your friends __  
><em>_And her snotty little family __  
><em>_All dressed in pastel_

"Merlin, now I know where she gets her pug face from," said Ron. Harry nudged him in the ribs. I can't help but to laugh at that comment. It's a shame that things didn't work out between us.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. Hermione, why are you wearing shades at 10 in the morning?" said Ginny loudly.

"I sneaked in. They don't know it's me."

"Hermione Granger, what a pleasant surprise," said a deep husky voice I knew too well.

"Shut it, Blaise."

He laughed. "Ginny, you look beautiful as always tonight."

"Don't push it mate," Harry said with a smile while Ginny grinned in respond.

"Where is he?" I asked slowly.

"Draco is in his room, want me to bring you there?"

"No!" I replied, maybe too quickly.

"You're making a mistake you know," he said after taking a small sip of red wine.

"It's for his own good."

"It's not, you're not happy. He's not happy," Ron said. This really caught me off guard. Usually, he was the one that disapproved of my now-past relationship.

"It's true, Mione. You should think this over," Ginny said.

"Hey, let's leave Hermione alone, shall we? I'm sure her decision is for the best." Harry said. I look at all my friends' faces. It has been so many years since our Hogwarts days. We have come a long way. Who would know that I would end up being good friends with Blaise? Or that I ended up falling in love with Draco?

I can feel tears forming in my eyes, "Excuse me; I need to go to the powder room."

_And she is yelling at a bridesmaid __  
><em>_somewhere back inside a room __  
><em>_Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry_

I was walking through the corridors when I heard someone screaming. I quickly withdraw my wand from my pocket. Then realization hit me, it's Pansy and she's screaming at the top of her lungs.

"No, no, no! Not this purple, the other purple! I want that purple! Just give it to me!"

"But... but you ordered these flowers," said one of her bridesmaids.

I peeked inside the drawing room and saw her wearing a white strapless wedding dress that hugged her curves perfectly.

I remembered asking you the night that we had an uncomfortable dinner with the Lovegoods about having an elaborate wedding I know Malfoys are proud of. You said you would rather stay with the Lovegoods for a whole week and wrestle a Hungarian Horntail rather than succumbing to your family traditions.

"Liar," I muttered under my breath.

_This is surely not __  
><em>_What you thought it would be __  
><em>_I lose myself in a daydream __  
><em>_Where I stand and say __  
><em>

"Hermione?" a voice I knew too well called me. I missed how he called my name.

I turned and saw Draco coming down the stairs. He looked shocked to see me but quickly regained his composure. He stopped at the foot of the stairs. His sleeked blonde hair was combed neatly and he had a loose tie around his neck.

Long gone was the trace of tanned skin, long messy hair that I loved. The man I saw standing in front of me was Draco, Draco Malfoy. The menacing, prejudiced, bullying, annoying git that I hated with all my guts during my school years. Not the man that I know and finally fell in love with, the man that changed for the better.

My mind took me back to the first time I met him post-Hogwarts. We met in Cairo, Egypt. I was sitting alone in a crowded class sweating like hell and trying desperately to understand the professor's weird accent. He was giving a lecture on Ancient Runes. I was mad at Harry and Ron for cancelling our plan last minute because they decided that they wanted to try playing Quidditch in the dessert. Reluctantly I agree and later decide that I better not waste the day so I begged shamelessly at the professor to let me join his class. He grudgingly agreed.

Little did I know that I would cross-pathed with none other than Draco Malfoy himself. He entered the class halfway through the lesson. I was shocked at his appearance and nearly fall from my seat. He then made his way to me all the time locking his grey eyes on me.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked politely.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?"

"Hearing a lecture Granger."

"In Cairo, Egypt? Are you stalking me?" I asked.

He laughed, "No but it's a pleasant surprise Granger."

"I…"

"Look Granger. Let's not dwell on the past shall we. When I left Hogwarts, I left everything. Right now, all I want to do is to hear the damned lecture on Ancient Runes."

"Alright," I said softly and ignored him.

After class, he apologized for his rudeness and insisted on buying me a drink. I agreed for old time sake. I later discovered that I enjoyed my talks with him and we met more frequent and when summer ended, I was head over heels in love with him. I always thought our relationship was just a summer fling and that everything would return to normal when we leave Egypt but I thought wrong.

We remained friends and interact regularly through post and sneaked out for drinks sometimes. One night, when we had dinner Draco said he loved me.

"Draco." His name felt so right.

It has been quite a long time since I had seen him. My heart ached at the sight of him. He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. He was getting married in the matter of minutes. The truth finally hit me. Why am I here? Shouldn't I be wallowing in self pity at home? The silence is killing me.

"How are you?" we both said at the same time.

I looked at my hands; this was starting to feel awkward. He ran his hand through his hair. The end of it started to stick up. I fight the urge to reach out my hand and try to smooth it down. I miss the feeling of his hair between my fingers.

"You first," he mumbled.

"I'm fine, as you can see," my hand was making an elaborate and rather unnecessary gesture.

"Yeah, me too," he said with an edge to his voice. He looked at me with his piercing grey eyes.

I looked away.

"Pansy told me you're not coming."

"Oh, did she? Maybe the owl got confused and lost my reply," I said pointedly. He looked at me with a stoned expression. We both know that it's a lie, knowing Pansy.

"Stop it! Don't _touch _me!" we heard Pansy shriek.

"Merlin," escaped his mouth. He looked embarrassed at his mistake.

Not wanting silence to fill the gap again, I said, "Let me help you with the tie. I told you, tying it without magic looks nicer."

"Yeah, you're right," he said with a small grin.

"I'm always right," I add playfully.

"Not always." Our eyes met and I know exactly what he's thinking. He's recalling back the night we ended our relationship. I know he's still searching for an answer to why it ended that way. I remembered all the broken plates and tears shed.

A lot of them.

I was caught off guard once again when he suddenly put his hand on mine. I was suddenly conscious of how close we were standing to each other. His other hand gently brush away some strands of hair that covered my face. I closed my eyes at his touch. Why was he making this so difficult? I opened my eyes and was greeted by his conflicted grey eyes. I'm not sure how long we stood there, just staring into each other eyes, trying to find some answers.

Suddenly, the balcony door opened. We both jumped back, feeling guilty. Blaise stood at doorway.

"There, the tie looks fine now," I said, trying to cover up my blushing face.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Well, I better go now," I said while smoothing my dress trying to avoid those grey eyes.

"Draco, you should be at the altar now," Blaise said. He looked uncomfortable.

I managed to give him a weak smile. I looked at Draco, wanting to say something, but the moment had passed. He looked at me with a composed expression. I turned on my heel and walk toward the garden where the wedding will take place.

One thing was for sure, I know that the old Draco I fell in love with is still there buried beneath the whole Malfoy demeanor. Knowing that piece of vital information makes it harder for me to walk away.

_Fond gestures are exchanged __  
><em>_And the organ starts to play __  
><em>_A song that sounds like a death march _

My thoughts were in a messed. My hands were shaking. I hide behind a bush to compose am I stuck in this situation? Suddenly I heard Blaise's voice. He was asking Draco to think thoroughly about his decisions but he did not reply. I heard Blaise groan in frustration. They walked past me.

_And I am hiding in the curtains __  
><em>_It seems that I was uninvited __  
><em>_By your lovely bride-to-be_

Why am I hiding? Why am I letting him go through with this wedding? We both know this is not what we wanted. I want him to know that I'm here. I want him to hear me out. The reality just hit me. I love him. He loves me. Everything else doesn't matter. Why should we sacrifice our love? I don't even remember why we both let it go.

My hands were stretched and my fingers were just inches away from grabbing his hand. Our future together flashed in my mind. Out of the blue I felt my body froze. I was immobilize by a full body bind curse. Blaise and Draco walk away without a second glance.

When they were out of side, Pansy finally said the counter-curse.

"You," I said through gritted teeth.

"There, there, Granger."

My wand was raised in defense.

"Listen, Granger. Remember what I told you before? He's not happy in your world, surrounded by people who are still skeptical about where his loyalty lies," Pansy said. I open my mouth to retort but she cut me off.

"Do you think he'll be happy with you when all the Wizarding World community is still under the perception that their savior, their worship hero, Hermione Granger is under a spell cast by Draco Malfoy? Even they're not stupid. You're not right for each other. He'll be miserable and despised. He'll be in much worse state than he is now. Are you willing to let him live a life like that?" she jeered.

I looked straight at her; deep inside I knew that all her words were true. I turned to leave.

"Remember Granger, remember this well, love is not enough." She said coldly. I stood rooted to my spot, and after a moment, she brushed by me. I heard footsteps walking away.

A single tear slide down my cheeks. I wiped it away stubbornly. I will not succumb to crying my heart out now, not here.

_She floats down the aisle __  
><em>_Like a pageant queen. __  
><em>_But I know you wish it was me __  
><em>_You wish it was me (Don't cha?)_

By the time I got to the lavishly-decorated garden nearly all the seats are taken. An usher saw me, but I was afraid that my name won't be in the sitting list. Wishing to avoid a scene, I walked away from him.

"Hermione!"

I turned and saw Ginny waving. I crossed my fingers, hoping that they had managed to save me a seat too, and joined them.

"Hey, we managed to save you a seat," Harry said, patting an empty seat between him and Ron.

"It belongs to some weird witch, I think I managed to scare her away," Ron said proudly.

"No Ron, I think she left because you were being rude," Luna suddenly piped up serenely. She was sitting at a row in front of them.

"Hi Luna, where's Rolf?" I asked, getting myself comfortable.

"Oh, he's not a big fan of weddings. He finds them quite pointless you see, but I love weddings," Luna said with a smile.

"You're not wearing any bright colours today?" I asked curiously, noticing that she was wearing a dark blue dress. She blended well with other people's clothing and didn't stand out, very uncharacteristic for Luna.

"I was wearing sunshine yellow, but Ron said we shouldn't wish Draco good luck on his wedding day. So, I decided to change my clothes to dark blue. I'm not going all black since I know him quite well and he's quite pleasant at times."

"Ronald… You shouldn't…" I stopped mid-sentence when the orchestra started to play and the groom walked in. I managed to stop myself from looking at him, but I could feel his burning gaze. Looking at him now would just break my heart. I looked at Ginny for support and she gave me an encouraging smile.

The orchestra changed their music, and the Parkinson's family walked in. I felt sick to my stomach when I saw them. Then it was time for the Malfoys to walk in with Andromeda and Teddy Lupin, who looked very cute in his tux. His hair was bright pink from excitement.

Narcissa and Lucius saw me and gave me a weak smile. They weren't that happy with Draco's decision to marry Pansy. I guess after defending them during the war trial, things did get better between us and between Andromeda and her sister.

I was brought back to Earth hard when I heard the orchestra changed the song again. To me, it sounded like a death march. I didn't look at her; my eyes were on the groom. I knew I was making this harder for him. I could see it in his eyes. He was regretting his decision. But I knew that he wasn't the type of guy who would back out easily.

When Mr. Parkinson stood in front of the altar, he said something unintelligible to Draco, who nodded solemnly. Pansy was all smiles for the camera. When Mr. Parkinson gave Pansy's hand to Draco, he managed to sneak in a look at my direction. Our eyes met, and hope swelled in my heart.

_I hear the preacher say __  
><em>_"Speak now or forever ho-old your pea-ea-ea-eace __  
><em>_There's the silence, there's my last chance __  
><em>_I stand up with shaking hands, all eyes on me_

My mind blocked out for a while and suddenly everything seems to falls in place. The small wizard finally finishes his speech on the sacred ties of marriage.

"Whoever against this marriage, should speak up their minds now or forever stay silent," he added. I know we were meant to be. I know that we are perfect for each other.

I stood up, and the adrenaline starting to rush throughout my whole body.

_Horrified looks from __  
><em>_Everyone in the room __  
><em>_But I'm only looking at you._

"Mione, sit down," Harry said out of the corner of his mouth.

Everyone was confused as to why the wizard didn't continue. Draco turned and looked at me. He smiled. Pansy was furious; I could practically see her bristling with anger. Almost all eyes are on me. The wizard looked stunned.

"I…" I guess it's all clear now. I'm not really good at making speeches. I looked at Draco again and in that instant, I knew there was no one who I rather be with.

"Draco, you're making a mistake. You know that this is not where you're supposed to be, right here, right now. This is all wrong. I know this is not what you want, all this fancy stuff," Hermione said.

"I guess what I really want to say is that I know we both have flaws and nobody's perfect but we should learn to accept each other just the way we are. The real reason that I wanted to end our relationship in the first place is because all I want is for you to be happy. And I thought you'll be happier without me, away from the prying eyes of the Wizarding community. Away from all their lies and criticism. But I'm sorry; I don't love you enough to let you go."

Everything that happens after that was a blur. I was shoved aside and spells were thrown. I fell and my wand fell from my hands a few feet away. I managed to crawl to it and saw that Pansy was held back with a full body bind curse. The guest that came went into frenzy. Harry and Ron put up protective spells. Draco was nowhere to be found.

"Hermione, follow me."

Someone took my hand and together we ran into the manor. She led me from corridors to hallways and shortcuts and finally we entered a parlor.

"The Floo Powder is there, go," she said while pointing to an encrusted box that looks more fitted to kept jewels instead of the Floo Powder.

"Narcissa, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Don't worry about it. You know I don't like Pansy that much. I consider what you did just now as a favor. And for what it's worth, we owe you for saving my family and I know that Draco loves you," she said while patting my hand. I hugged her to show my gratefulness.

"Go."_  
><em>

_So don't say yes, run away now __  
><em>_I'll meet you when you're out __  
><em>_Of the church at the back door _

_Don't wait or say a single vow __  
><em>_You need to hear me out __  
><em>_And they said, "speak now"_

I went to my apartment. It looked just the way I had left it that morning, but everything was not the same. What did I just do? I left this morning to attend a wedding, not ruin one. The Prophet is going to have a field trip day tomorrow. I needed to go.

I went inside my room and quickly packed. I looked around for my muggle passport. Something told me I should lie low for a little while until the news had died down.

And that showing up at the Portkey Arena was not a good idea.

I took one last look around the apartment that I shared with Ginny. I left her a note saying that I was going to visit my parents, and not to worry. I just need time to sort things out.

_And you Say __  
><em>_Let's run away now __  
><em>_I'll meet you when __  
><em>_I'm out of my tux at the back door _

I managed to call my parents before the plane took off.

"Hey mum."

"Hermione dear! We miss you. Are you okay?" my mother's excited voice replied. Just hearing her voice comforts me.

"I'm on a plane that's heading to France. Be there in a few hours. I was hoping you could pick me up."

"Of course, honey! But why didn't you tell us you were coming earlier?"

"It's sort of a last minute decision. I'll see you there, the plane is about to board."

"Of course. See you soon," my mum replied fondly.

"Bye, mum." The line went dead.

_Baby, I didn't say my vows __  
><em>_So glad you were around when they said __  
><em>_"Speak now"_

After long gruesome hours which I was left alone with my own thoughts, I finally landed in Paris, France. My parents texted that they would be a bit late but were on the way. I decide to go and have a cup of coffee since I'm a little light headed thanks to the champagne I drank. The café was quite empty. It's almost 1 in the morning, no wonder.

I made a mental note to never take a last minute flight in the middle of the night.

"Excuse me," someone said.

I ignored him.

The person cleared his throat, "Excuse me." The voice sounded oddly familiar to me. I'm so tired my brain can barely process the information.

"Hermione."

I turned around. The sound of my name on his lips clears my head completely.

"Draco," I breathed.

He smiled.

"But what are you doing here? What about the wedding? You parents-" all of it came out in one breath.

"You know, you always say too much," he said and pulled me close to him. I opened my mouth to argue but was silenced by his kiss. When his lips met mine, I melted completely. I felt like everything that needed to be said had been conveyed perfectly through the kiss.

I knew he'd left the wedding. I knew he'd told Pansy that he didn't love her.

Most importantly, I know that he loved me.

I finally managed to regain self-control, "Draco."

"Yes?" he asked.

"Did you use a portkey?"

"Yup, been here for hours. Everyone else is at your parent's house already," he said.

"Everyone?"

"Yes, everyone. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Blaise, and even little Teddy."

"Seriously?"

He nodded. "I love you, Hermione Granger."

"I love you too, Draco Malfoy."

"And by the way, I never said I do to Pansy," he added, smirking.

"Good."

"But I'm willing to say I do to you here, in Paris," he said.

He then knelt and retrieved a black velvet box from his jacket.

"Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me?"


End file.
